Indicator.



Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

woemtoz LEO CHURCH l himeooeo SLAM a. 9

L. CHURCH.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 16, 1913. Ll g go Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 LED CHURCH LEO CHURCH, F EEOIBMDGIE, SO'U'EJEI DAEUTA.

KNDICAEQR.

ncense specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1185, 11ers.

of South Dakota, have invented certain new water must be either shut o and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawhis invention relates to new and useful improvements in indicators and more particularly to electrical indicators, and the object of the present invention resides in the provision of an electric indicator which is especially adapted for use upon water tanks and more particularly to water tanks used by the various railroads in supplying the locomotives with water, and is particularly adapted for indicating the various depths of the water within the tank, and at the same time is provided with a signal whereby the operator may readily be notified should the tank become emptied or filled to a point nearly to the overflowing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an electric indicating device for tanks which will possess advantages in points of eficiency and durability, is inexpensive of manufacture and at the same time is simple in construction and operation.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is-better understood, the same consists in an indicating device for water tanks comprising, generally, two parts, namely a contact box which is applied to the water receptacle or tank and an indicator which is placed in the pump station or wherever most convenient, and indicates the level of the water in feet from the bottom of the tank, mechanism being provided whereby a bell will be rung when the water gets below a certain point or above another point, thus notifying the attendant at the ump that the d or started, according as the water in the tank is low or high. The contact box in part embodies a weight, preferably of lead, to which is attached one end of a cord, the other end of which connects with a float in the tank that is moved up and down as the level of the water varies. Arranged in the indicator is a series of electric lamps, and combined with the indicator are two two-point switches, and a bell constituting the and low water alarm, and arranged within the contact box, on one side thereof, is a contlnuous metallic contact, which is of substantially the same length as the box, and on the other side of the box are disposed a series of spaced contacts, and these contacts are designed to be engaged by spring contacts carried by the weight. Combined with the indicator is a push button switch which is designed to be used only when it is desired to read the indicator to ascertain the level of the water in the tank, the push button, bell and lamps being connected with a suitable source of electrical energy, in the present instance a battery.

Combined with each of the spaced con tacts is the end of a battery constituting one branch of a circuit in each of which is ineluded an electric lamp, the high and low water indicators including, further, an electric alarm bell, as above pointed out. The contact maker, consisting of the weight and spring contact arms, simplymoves up and down in the contact box and closes" one or the other of the separate electric circuits by making connection between the continuous brass contact on one side of the contact box and one of the spaced contact plates on the other side, while lightin one of the lamps, the number of which s ows the depth of water in the tank. When the connection is made with the top and bottom contact inthe box, the bell rings in addition to lighting a 1 lamp on circuit therewith. One of the contact points of one of the two-point switches is used for cutting out the pushv button, which latter is used in case batteries are employed as the source of electrical energy, as

a constantly closed circuit would exhaust the batteries in a short time; Hence, the button is used only to close the circuit momentarily to secure a reading whenever necessary or desirable. llhe high and low water indicators work independently. of the push button,'thus giving the alarm in case of high or low water. The other contact point of the same two-point switch is employed for maintaining a closed circuit and having one of the lamps lighted constantly, and is used only when an inexhaustible source of current is available, such as an electric light current. The other two-point switch is for cutting out the electric bell and leaving the lamp ligh, or for cutt out both. a

j The invention consi further. in e we rious novel features of constrnch on d it,

Mid

out in the claims and s own the accompanying drawin ,in which- Figure 1 is a ront elevation of the casing which is secured to the tank; Fig. 2 is-a front elevation of the supporting member which supports the lights and the signal bell; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the caslng, parts being broken away and in section; Fig. 4 is a dia ammatic view; Fig. 5 is a similar view il ustrating the electrical connections.

Referring more particularly to the accompang'ing drawings 1- Fig. 4 indicates the body 0 the water tank to which my improved electrical indicator'is applied. As herein described and illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, a casing 2 is provided whic is mounted upon one side of the tank at the top thereof and which -is provided at one side with a suitable door 3 whereby access may be readily gained to the interior of the casing. Mova 1y mounted 23 within the casing is a weight 4 having se- -'alined contact plates 12. These contacts are adapted to be engaged by spring contacts 13,

cured to its upper end a suitable pulley '5 around which extends a rope 6, one end of which is rigidly secured in the casing, as indicated at 7, while the other end thereof passes upwardly and overthe'pulleys 8 and 9, thence downwardly into the tank and secured to its lower end is a float 10. From this it will be seen-that u nthe rise and fall of the float 10, the weight 4 will move from the-top to the bottom of the casing and also from t e'-bottom to the top thereof.

; An'rangedwithii'i' the casing and secured to one of the side walls thereof is a con tinuous contact plate 11 and arranged upon the opposite si e wall are a plurality of the'inner ends of which are mounted upon the bolts 14, and secured thereto by means of the nuts 15. The'co'ntact plates 12 are preferably arranged for engagement by means of one-oft e spring contacts'13 and are suitably connected means ofthe circuit wires 16 to a'series per and lower contact plates are adapted for engagement by the spring contacts13 and are smta ly'connected by means of the wires 18 toa bell 19." The bell is preferably arranged withinithe station house or other lace where the pump is located so as to rea fly convey the fact 'to the operator that the tank'is either nearly emptied or full bf water. It

I is' preferably desired that the-lights 17 be suitably mounted upon a vertically'disposed 'or holder 20 and inclosed in-a glass ea'se,'notshown. The lights '17 are each eupposed'to represent a different 'hei ht of the water within the tank and, as c early agv t p s'q e se lights 17. Theuptached' to lower light indicates that two feet of is in the'tank and as each light is li hted, it

will" indicate the various depths of t e water .within the tank. Upon this base board upon which thelights are mounted, I provide the bell 19. Thebattery 21 is prov ded in the present instance and is connected to the switch members 22 and 22 and to the continuous contact 11. It will be readily-understood that in place of the battery, the

connecting wires may be suitably connected up with-any source of current. In the draw-- ings, I have illustrated two rotar switches,

one connected with the bell an one with the lights 17 and in this arrangement it be seen that the current to either the hell or the lights may be readily shut elf or turned on. A push button 23 is provided which is suitabl connected by means of the wires 24 to t e contacts of the switch 22 whichis a connected with the lights whereby when pressure is exerted upon the button 23, the lights maybe readily lighted. This button is preferably used when the circuits connected to batteries and the switch 22 are thrown so -that the li hts willnot be lighted all the time which in lue time would exhaust the bate teries. The button'is connected to the circuit of theli' ts and is pressed only when ity is desired to d-out how much wateris'inthe tank. the circuit isonly completed through the contact engaged by the spring contacts 13 carried by the weight, thus if the water is low in the tank, the lowermost-light to the height be lighted and soon according? of the water:in the tank. he switch 22' is adapted for use-in cutting out the electric bell and leaving the light lighted, or for-cnt-- tin out both. 1

.the praetical'operation of my starting with an empty tank the weight 4 will 'be at the upper-end of the casing 2 and as-the water fills into the tank, .the

loo

weight 4 is lowered, through the rise of-the float 10 and as the weight 4 drops tgward the'bottom of the casing, eachconsecutlve 'light is lighted one at a time-so that the operator or other person may be readily notified of the depth of the water in" the tank. Should the weight 4 reach the bottom of the casing, the spring contacts 13 will with the lowermost contact in the go I with the bell 19,

casmg,-which is connected thus ringing the bell and notifying the op-* erator that the tank is full so that he may cut off the supply of water.

It will be readily apparent that my device'is particularly a supply tanks on railroads wherem the tanks aregenerall supplied with water by means of a' pump ocated some distance from the tank, the casing and the weight being atthe tank at one sidethereof whil apted for use upon.

lights-and the bell may be v invention into nieneee the pp house so that the operator which is generally stationed in e 1' house may be readily notified of the contion oi the water wit the tank.

From the shove it will he seen thnt my device is extremely simple in construction, can be manufactured at comparatively low cost and quickly and readily applied to any suitable form of water tank.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it will he obvious that various changes in the details of construction and in the roportions may he resorteu to for success cer my rectice without secri cing any of the nove feces oidepeg fro the scope of the eppenued claim.

Whet ll claim is:-

A fievice of the close descrihetl t a casing, e continuous contact erril in the lights encl the spaced contacts, wires connecting the hell with the continuous con tact, and switch members erran ed between the hell and the .hetteryen& etweeh the lights and thebattery, es en& for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof l hereunto it 1 y signature in the presence of two witnes. 

